Lacing and tip therefor



Jan. 31, 1939. v R, DENNIS '2,145,476

LACING AND TIP THEREFOR Filed Jan. 24, 1936 INVEN TOR.

Patented Jan.4 31, 1939 UNITEDv STATES 'PATENT oFric International Massachusetts Braid Company, a corporation of Application January 24, 1936, Serial No. 60,582

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a lacing and a tip for this lacing; and has for one of its objects the provision of a lacing tip which will be strong against rupture and firmly secured against removal to the lacing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a lacing tip of Celluloid, zylonite, Bakelite or some similar non-metallic material in which the inner surface of the tip will be so forced into the fabric of the lacing as to cause it to tightly grip thereon and at the same time provide the lacing within the enveloped tip in a sinuous path to additionally assist in preventing removal of the tip from the lacing.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is an elevational View of a fragmental portion of a lacing with the tip applied to the end thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the tip with the end portion of the lacing broken away to show the inner surface of the tipping material;

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of the tip;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of a fragmental portion of the tip showing the under surface thereof as roughened, or provided with projections.

In the use of lacing tips, it is desirable that the tip be applied in such a manner that it will not slide longitudinally off of the end of the braided fabric which it embraces. It is also desirable that the tip be made suiliciently strong so that the same will not break or bend across its axis; and in order to accomplish provided a tip of non-metallic material, the inner surface of which, by softening, may be forced into the interstices of the fabric to provide a roughened inner better gripping surface on the tip to grip the lacing, and I have additionally impressed the tip in lines on the arc of a half circle extending partly about the tip with these impressions in staggered relation so that no one impression at any point overlaps the over, whereby the impression may be ma-de much deeper than were the arcs of the circles in the same planes providing a continuous depression about the tip, and thus I provide a sinuous path for the fabric within the embraced tip portion so that a very strong holding engagement of the tip is provided, and by reason of the staggered ribbed inner surface of the tip a strong tip is had; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating these results, I have l the preferred means by which results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, l designates a lacing usually formed of braided threads, and H a tip placed about the end of the lacing. This 5 tip is formed of Celluloid, zylonite, Bakelite or some similar material in sheet form l2 which is wrapped about the lacing while at the same time compressing the same, as shown at i3, in Fig. 3. The edges of the sheet material overlap as at lo i4, the edges being pressed inwardly to cause the outer surface to be substantially smooth.

This sheet material, such as Celluloid, zylonite, or the like, as above described, is of a character which may be softened either by a solvent or by heat or by both, and when so softened is moldable. At the time of wrapping the sheet about the lacer, the same is softened to this moldable state and compressed or forced inwardly so that portions of the Celluloid material enter into the interstices of the fabric and provide little projections, such as l5, to interlock with the openings or spaces between the braided threads and thus olfer great resistance to any longitudinal these advantageous movement of the tip with relation to the braid 254 or lacing.

At the time of the softening and compressing the tip I also indent the outer surface, as at li, so as to provide a denite rib .il larger than the projection l5 on the inner surface of the tip, and 30 I extend each of these indentations about the surface of the tip through an arc of substantially 180 or half a circle, and then on that portion of the tip opposite the indentation a similar indentation is provided in staggered relation and substantially half way between the planes of the indentation on the opposite side of the tip so that a formation substantially as shown in Fig. 1 is provided.

In this manner, the lacing which is enclosed in the tip is disposed in a more or less sinuous path which provides additional resistance to the withdrawal of the tip from the lacing; and by reason of the indentations being in staggered relation on the opposite sides of the tip, I am enabled more deeply to indent the tip than were these indentations in line and in the same plane at right angles to the tip. I thus provide a greater holding power on the tip than has heretofore been` the case in tips which are in general use.

Further, the ribs on the inner surface of the tip serve to strengthen the tip against crushing when pressure is applied in a direction at right angles to the axis of the tip.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lacing and tip comprising a length of fabric, a sheet of Celluloid or the like embracing the fabric with its edges in adjacency, the inner surface of said sheet having small projections extending into the interstices of the fabric, and its outer surface being grooved and the inner surface correspondingly ribbed around the tip on the arc of a half circle, said ribs arranged in staggered relation.

2. A lacing and tip comprising a length of braided fabric, a sheet of Celluloid or the like tightly embracing the fabric and maintaining it in compressed relation, its inner surface of said sheet having small projections extending into the interstices of the fabric and its outer surface being grooved and inner face correspondingly ribbed around the tip on the arc of a half circle to dispose the enveloped fabric in a sinuous path, said depressions being arranged in staggered non-overlapping relation,

3. A fabric lacing having a tip of sheet material Wrapped around it, said material being of nature that Will permit it to be partially softened by the application of heat and a solvent, the fabric having interstices and being held in compressed condition by the said wrapped sheet material to intimately unite the fabric with the inner surface thereof, a large number of minute projections extending into the interstices of the fabric, said tip having depressions in its outer surface and fcorresponding projections on its inner surface which extend through the arc of half a circle.

4. A fabric lacing having a tip of sheet material Wrapped around it, said material being of a nature that will permit it to be partially softened by the application of heat and a solvent, the fabric having interstices and being held in compressed condition by the said wrapped sheet material to intimately unite the fabric with the inner surface thereof, a large number of minute projections extending into the interstices of the fabric, said tip having depressions in its outer surface and corresponding projections on its inner surface Which extend through the arc of half a circle, said depressions and projections being arranged in staggered relation with no portion of one overlapping the other.

JOHN R. DENNIS. 

